The world is full of strange, fascinating, and downright mind-blowing facts, and chances are, you haven’t heard most of them. From nature’s weirdest creations to bizarre bits of history and science that defy common sense, these are the kinds of amazing facts that make you stop and say, “Wait, is that actually true?”And the answer is yes, it is true.
Whether you’re looking to impress your friends with random facts or just love learning things that make the world feel a little more magical, we’ve got you covered. Here are 20 amazing facts we thought you should know, because knowing cool stuff is always in style.
1
Lighting is very hot
A bolt of lightning is five times hotter than the surface of the s.un
2
Honey never spoils
Archaeologists found pots of honey that are over 3,000 years old and still edible.
3
Butterflies taste with their feet
To find out if leaves are good to lay eggs on.
4
There’s a hotel made entirely of ice in Sweden
World's coolest hotel, literally.
5
There’s a jellyfish that can essentially live forever
It can revert its cells and start life over again.
6
Rain smells good because of bacteria
"Petrichor" comes from a bacteria that releases a compound when the ground gets wet.
7
Octopuses have three hearts
Two pump blood to the gills, while one pumps it to the rest of the body.
8
The Eiffel Tower grows taller in summer
Heat makes the metal expand adding up to 15 centimeters!
9
Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins
They can stay underwater for more than 40 minutes.
10
Bananas are berries
Weirdly, bananas fit the botanical definition of a berry, but strawberries don't.
11
Sharks have been around longer than trees
They have existed for over 400 million years, outdating the first trees by millions.
12
Japan has square watermelons
farmers grow square watermelons by placing them in boxes while they grow so they're easier to stack.
13
The shortest war lasted less than an hour
Britain and Zanzibar fought a 38 to 45 minute battle in 1896.
14
There’s a town in Norway that gets no sun for half the year
Due to the surrounding mountains. Bringing locals to install giant mirrors to bring a bit of sunlight back.
15
Tardigrades can survive in space
They can survive extreme heat, freezing cold and radiation. The ultimate survivors
16
There’s a library in Portugal guarded by bats
They help preserve the old books by eating insects that would otherwise damage them.
17
A volcanic eruption once created a brand new island
In 2015, a massive underwater volcanic eruption in the South Pacific created Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai.
18
There’s a pink lake in Australia
Thanks to salt-loving algae and bacteria that thrive in its salty waters.
19
Trees can clone themselves
Like in The Pando aspen grove in Utah, all the trees are genetically identical and connected by a single root system.
